Slade was first elected to the
Florida House of Representatives representing
Duval County in the 1962 general election as a
Democrat at the age of 25. He later changed parties to become a
Republican in 1964 and ran successfully for the
Florida State Senate in the 1966 general election. While representing the 9th district in the Senate, he worked to persuade voters to approve the consolidation of the city and county governments in Duval County. In 1970, he ran as the state
insurance commissioner, although he was unsuccessful. During the campaign, he was in a plane crash with
C.W. Bill Young. In 1980s, Slade helped Republican candidates in Northeast Florida, including
Bob Martinez's 1985 campaign for governor, and later served as chairman of the Florida Tax and Budget Commission. He was known for his ability to recruit candidates, including future comptroller
Robert F. Milligan and future education commissioner
Frank Brogan. He led the
Republican Party of Florida as the state party chair between 1993 and 1999. When he took over the role, Democrats controlled the state House, the cabinet and the governor's office. Following the 1998 election, Republicans led both the legislature and the executive. He has been described as "one of the architects of the modern Republican party in Florida." He developed a computer program that would analyze voter rolls to target individuals in an innovative approach. == Later life ==